Pondering windows and the future of Unix

F or many years, Unix has been the undisputed platform of choice for high-end CAD applications. High-end software programs from Computervsion, EDS Unigraphics, HP, IBM, Intergraph, SDRC, and PTC all run on Unix. Recently, however, a growing number of these companies have begun porting their programs to Windows NT and/or Windows 95. That trend, along with the emergence of several impressive, new Windows-only-based solid-modeling programs, have suddenly turned Windows into a viable alternative to Unix at the high end of CAD.